Homemade Meals

The core idea of Intuitive Eating is not to mark any food as off-limits. Here’s a little twist. How do you feel about cooking your favorite foods at home?

It’s not about restricting foods; it’s about controlling the ingredients. You can make the same food you enjoy at home: french fries, pizza, pasta, muffins, pancakes, etc.

It might not be for everyone. It demands kitchen tools and, arguably, more time. But here are some reasons why it is a great idea.

Your body signals are more accurate when you are eating natural ingredients. Prepackaged or restaurant foods often contain artificial flavors, excessive salt, sugar, and fats. Even their texture is engineered to trick you into consuming more. All these can alter your taste and interfere with the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness.

Research has consistently shown that people who cook at home are more likely to consume a balanced diet and maintain a healthier weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

That’s not to say that you should stop eating out. Everybody loves a good restaurant once in a while. But when you cook with high-quality, fresh ingredients, you’ll become better at recognizing and avoiding artificial additives. Cooking at home has completely ruined fast food for me. I also started appreciating food a whole lot more.

Cooking is also a money saver. Dining out can be great, but those bills can add up fast. When you cook at home, you can plan, buy, and cook in bulk and have leftovers for the next day.

Also, depending on the availability of nearby restaurants, it might save you some time. As a bonus, this is a project you get to do with your loved ones, which is always fun.

And guess what? When you cook at home, it is also good for the environment. Less takeout and prepackaged means less single-use packaging. Plus, you can choose eco-friendly options and support the local producers.

If you are new to cooking or want to make it more fun, please check out our Chef challenges. Start small and gradually expand your culinary skills.